Regulating valve apparatus for locomotive or other steam engines



Jan. 9, R E K LEY 1,942,711

REGULATING VALVE APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVE OR OTHER STEAM ENGINES Filed May 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG! Fyfienfln of fnvdr/j INVENTOR BY Q/ZQL ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1934. R. E. KIMBERLEY REGULATING VALVE APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVE OR OTHER STEAM ENGINES Filed May 27, 1931 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 FIG. 5

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 9, 1934 REGULATING VALVE vAPPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVE OR OTHER .GINES STEAM EN- Rupert Ernest Kimberley, Junin, Argentina, as-

signor to American Throttle Company, Inc.,

New York, N. Y.

, Application May 27, 1931, Serial No. 540,273,

and in Great Britain June 6, 1930 6 Claims.

This invention relates to throttle or regulating valve apparatus for steam driven locomotives or other steam engines of the kind in which the supply of steam to .the engine valve chests is controlled by a valve or valves of the lift or poppet type, arranged in a housing and provided, or each provided, with a balancing piston, -a pilot valve being employed to control the supply of steamto the balancing chamber of the valve housing.

Those familiar with locomotive and other steam engines will be aware that communication between each cylinder and the source of supply of steam is alternately opened for a predetermined interval of time and closed for a predetermined interval, the alternate feed to and cut-off from the cylinders setting up a pulsation of the steam which is noticeable back to the throttle or regulating valve or valves. More particularly is this pulsation noticeable with locomotives having a limited cut-off.

This invention has for its object to provide, in throttle valve apparatus of the kind above indicated, means whereby chattering motion of the valve or valves due to the pulsation of the steam flowing past it or them to the engine cylinders will be eliminated. In a known type of throttle valve apparatus of the kind above referred to provision is made for a predetermined amount of clearance or lost motion between valve actuating cams or fingers on a rock shaft and the surfaces on the throttle valve spindles engaged by said fingers to enable the valves to be opened and closed in a predetermined order, and it will be appreciated that should a chattering motion of the valve arise an undesirable hammering of the valve spindles on their actuating cams or fingers might occur.

The invention principally consists in the provision in regulating valve apparatus of the kind above indicated of valve means operating, when a predetermined opening for steam to the engine valve chests has been effected, to reduce the pressure exerted by the steam in the balancing chamber of the valve housing on the balancing piston of the valve by opening the said chamber to exhaust until a predetermined reduced pressure obtains therein, the superior steam pressure obtaining in the supply chamber of the valve housing then acting to hold the valve steadily in position.

The reduction in the pressure exerted on the balancing piston of a valve may be effected by a valve or valves operatively associated with superior to the pressure tending to lift the valves or move them away from such actuating fingers. Preferably the loaded relief valve is a steam operated valve comprising a cylinder, a differential area piston therein, having its smaller pressure area constantly open to the delivery chamber of the valve housing and its larger pressure area subject to steam fromthe balancing chamber when, by a predeterminedv arc of movement of the rock shaft, a valve. associatedwith the pilot'valve is opened, therebeing provided an exhaust duct from the larger area end of the cylinder, and a valve operatively'connected to said piston and normally closing .said .duct but adapted to open it when the piston is operated by pressure acting on its larger area. lihe invention further consists inthe features of construction pointed out in the appended embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryview illustrating. certain. parts shown in Fig. 1. in sectional plan on the line AB of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View showing a portion of. a throttle valve housing according to this-invention, and

comprising another embodiment of the inven-- tion hereinafter described.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating amodified construction in which a liner for the bore in which the balancing piston of a valve works is combined with the cage comprising the valve seat ring shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a modification hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, the valve housing comprises a supply chamber 1, a delivery chamber 2 and a balancing chamber 3, 4 and 5 being the partitions separating the respectivechamhere. 6 and 7 are regulating or throttle valves, 8 and 9 being the balancing pistons of these valves, 10 is the pilot valve controlling communication between thesupply chamber 1 and the balancing chamber 3. 11 is the seating ring of the pilot valve, which has a downward extension or skirt in which are provided ports 12 controlled by a, Valve piston 13 formed or provided on the. stem 14' ofthe pilot valve.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, in the embodiment therein shown the stem 14 of the pilot valve has connected to it the stem 15 of a member 16 carrying a valve. 17 controlling a port 18 in a casing'19 depending from'the lower wall of the balancing chamber of the valve housing. The valve 17 is formed on the lower end of a rod 20 slidable inxa; bore 21 in the member 16 and retained therein by a collar or shoulder 22 on the rod 20 and a hollow plug or sleeve 23 screwed into the-lower end of themember- 16.

The upper end of the bore 21 is constantly open to the balancing chamber 3 through a lat-- eral port 24 andthe interior of the casing 19 is also opento the balancing chamber 3 by way of the ducts formed by. providing. flattened surfaces 25 on the member 16.

26 .is a cylinder mounted below the valve housing, and 27 is a differential piston operating in said cylinder, the piston carrying a valve 28cohtrolling aport 29 leading by. way. of a. suitable pipe to atmosphere. The smaller diameter pressure. area 30 of the differentialarea piston 21 is constantly open to the delivery chamber 2 of the valve housing by a duct 31 and the larger diameter pressure area, consisting of the annulus32, is opento the balancing chamber 3 at such times as the valve l7.is open as will be described, 33 being a pipe connecting the port 18 to the larger diameter portion of the cylinder 26.

,The balancing piston 8 of the valve 6 has a larger area than the said valve, and is formed separately from the valve spindle,.the piston be ing held in place against acollar 34 by a nut 35 screwedup on the valve spindle. The rock shaft with fingers for operating the various valves is not shownin Fig. 1, but its constructicnis well known and needs no description herein. To provide the shoulders against which the fingers on the rock shaft act, each regulating valve carries a hardened steel washer 36 and a nut 37, 38 being a spacing ferrule holding the washer 36 in place whenthe nut 3'7 isscrewed into position. The fingers on.the rock shaft for, operating the pilot valve act between the shoulders 39 and 40.

As shown in Fig; l, the balancing piston. of the valve 7 is of lesser diameter than the valve. but if desired this piston may be of equal or greater diameter than the valve, as also may be the pistons of the other regulating valves of the apparatus which are not shown in the drawings, the apparatus comprising, for example, four regulating valves.

If desired the valve seat rings of the regulating valves may be formed integral with a cage extending up into the opening in the top wall of the supply chamber, and such a valve seating is shown associated with the valve 6, the cage comprising the valve seating 41, a positioning ring 42 and connecting bars 43. If desired the cage may be extended downwardly and be formed integral with a liner 44 for the bore in l -which the balancing piston works, the said liner 44 being connected by bars to the valve seat ring 41; such a construction being shown in Fig. 4, which figure also shows the rock shaft 45 for operating the valves and. an operating finger 46 for the valve illustrated.

The operation of the apparatus constructed as shown in Fig. 1 is as follows:0n the rock shaft being operated, the pilot valve is first raised as in they known regulating valve: apparatus to-which-the invention appertains,-and steam from the supply chamber 1 of the valve housing (this may berassumed to be the valve 6) the upper end of the piston valve portion 13 of the pilot valve will have passed beyond the ports '12 and the supply of steam to the balancing chamber will be cut 011 except for a small leak for maintaining the desired pressure in chamber 3, this leak being provided for. by an appropriate clearance between. the valve piston 13 and. the

bore of the part 11.

At the same time as the valve piston. 13 obstructs the ports 12, the valve 17 willhave been lifted andithe port 18 opened, so that balancing chamber pressure will flow from the chamber 3 through theport l8, and pipe 33 into the cylinder 26, and, should it be superior to the, pressure acting on the area 30 of the differential piston, will move the piston upwardly and unseat the valve 28, and thus place the, pipe 33- toexhaust through the port 29. Steam from thebalancing chamber 3 will flow to exhaust until the pressure falls to an extentsuchthat the delivery chamber pressure actingon the area 30 of the differential piston forces the latter downwardly and closes the I valve 28. This venting of the balancing chamber to exhaust, and the reduction of the pressure therein, has the effect of preventing fluttering of the valve 6 which has beenopened, as the superior pressure obtainin in the supply chamber 1 actingon the valvewill overcomethe pressure in the balancing chamber acting on the balancing piston and will press or hold the valve firmly against the fingers or cams'on the rock shaft. Thus wear its lie

onthe cams of the rock shaft will be reduced to a minimum.

It will be understood that when the valve '7 or any other of the regulating valves is opened such valve or valves will'be similarly held against their operating fingers or cams and'fiuttering be valve 47 is provided, which is connected by the pipe 33 to the casing 48 of a valve associated with the pilot valve. This valve may be of the construction shown in Fig. 1 or may be constructed as shown in Fig. 5, the valve in the latter case consistingof a valve plug or piston 49 which may beintegral with the pilot valve or be secured thereto. This plug slides in a bore in a member 50-screwed into the bottom wall of the balancing chamber, 18 being the port to which the pipe 33 is connected. The plug has a peripheral groove 51 connected by radial ports to an axial port 52. 53 are ports in the wall of the member 50 constantly open to the balancing chamber.

In the normal position of the pilot valve the balancing chamber 3 is open to the relief valve 47 through the ports 53, the peripheral groove 51 and the port 52 and the pipe 33. On a predetermined lift being given to the pilot valve the peripheral groove 51 will pass out of the bore in the member 50 and the balancing chamber will be again placed in communication with the port 18 and pipe 33 through the radial ports in the plug and the axial port 52. The relief valve 47 would be adjusted to open at a predetermined pressure and allow the pressure in the pipe 33 to exhaust, so that when communication between said relief valve and the balancing chamber 3 is established by the valve 49 (or by the valve 17 if the construction shown in Fig. 1 be employed) the relief valve will operate to reduce the pressure in chamber 3 to, and prevent it rising above, the predetermined degree, whereby the superior pressure in chamber 1 will hold the regulating valve or valves against fluttering as above described.

It will be understood that the relief valve 28 operated by the differential piston, and shown in Fig. 1, is adapted to maintain a predetermined ratio between the pressures in the delivery and balancing chambers of the valve housing after a predetermined opening of the pilot valve has been reached. The valve operates automatically, and will prevent the pressure in the balancing chamber 3 rising to an extent sufficient to permit the pulsation of the steam in the delivery chamber overcoming the downward pressure exerted on the valves by the steam in the supply chamber, and thus will prevent such pulsation of the steam setting up fluttering of the valves.

Whilst the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings and hereinbefore described in detail show the application of the invention to regulating valve apparatus comprising a plurality of lift type valves, it will be appreciated that the invention is equally applicable to regulator valves wherein a single lift valve, having a balancing piston and associated with a pilot valve, is employed.

The pilot valve of the apparatus, if desired, may be controlled by a trigger gear or catch handle on the operating handle of the regulator lever in the drivers cab and independently connected to said valve, whereby the pilot valve will be opened by the initial action of the driver in operating the regulator lever and before the latter is moved to open the throttle valve or valves.

It will be understood that variations may be made in the constructional details above described without departing from the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a regulating valve apparatus of the class wherein a valve controlling a port between a steam inlet chamber and a steam delivery chamber is balanced by steam admitted by a pilot valve to a balancing chamber and exerting pressure on a balancing piston connected to the valve, and in combination with said elements, a passage lead ing from the balancing chamber to a point of constant low pressure, two valve means controlling said passage, means to open the first of them after the pilot valve has been opened a predetermined amount and at the same time to shut ofi the passage controlled by the pilot valve, and differential piston means to open the second when the pressure in the balancing chamber exceeds that in the delivery chamber by a predetermined amount.

2. In a regulating valve apparatus of the class wherein a valve controlling a port between a steam inlet chamber and a steam delivery cham her is balanced by steam admitted by a pilot valve to a balancing chamber, and in combination, means to restrict the supply of balancing steam after the balancing valve has been opened a predetermined amount, and to open the balancing chamber to exhaust by a loaded relief valve.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, the loaded relief valve operating in response to differential pressure in the balancing and delivery chambers.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, said loaded relief valve being operated by a difierential piston exposed on its two sides respectively to pressures in the balancing and delivery chambers, the arrangement further comprising means to admit steam from the balancing chamber only when the supply to the balancing chamber is restricted.

5. In a regulating valve apparatus of the class wherein a valve controlling a port between a steam inlet chamber and a steam delivery chamber is balanced by steam admitted by a pilot valve to a balancing chamber, in combination, an outlet from the balancing chamber to atmosphere, means to close said passage when the pilot valve is closed or opened below a certain point and to open it when the pilot valve is open beyond such point, and a fluid pressure actuated valve controlling said passage and operative after the pilot valve is open to said point to maintain a predetermined ratio between the delivery chamber pressure and the balancing chamber pressure.

6. In a regulating valve apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing having an inlet chamber, a delivery chamber, a balancing chamber, and a plurality of ports connecting the inlet and delivery chambers, a plurality of valves controlling said ports and balanced by pistons exposed to pressure on their two sides from the balancing chamber and delivery chamber respectively, means to open said valves in some predetermined sequence, the balancing piston of at least one of said valves being larger than the valve, valve-controlled means to admit steam to the balancing chamber, a valve-controlled passage from the balancing chamber to atmosphere, means to restrict the steam supply to the balancing chamber and to open the valve to the atmosphere when the valve controlling the balancing steam has been opened a certain distance, a further valve in said passage to the atmosphere, this last named valve being operated by a differential area piston exposed on its two sides to balancing chamber pressure and delivery chamber pressure respectively to open the passage to atmosphere when the valve is operated by the pressure from the balancing chamber.

RUPERT ERNEST KIMBERLEY. 

